Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12', 12-25'

 

Flower Color

Pink

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green, Purple

 

Bark Color

Grey

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Foundation, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Screen

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Purple Smoketree is a deciduous shrub with a multi-stemmed, upright habit, growing about 12 to 15 feet tall and wide. Can be pruned to be a small tree. Leaves emerge a deep maroon purple and fade to dark green; fall color is orange to purple. Panicles of wispy dark pink appear in the summer after spring flowering, creating a billowing, soft effect.

Grow in full sun and well-drained soils; tolerates wide range of soils except wet, poorly-drained ones. Prefers somewhat infertile loams, but also does well in poor, rocky soils. Shallow fibrous root system makes it hard to grow anything but shallow-rooted groundcovers underneath. If bloom is not a concern, stems may be cut back hard in early spring each year to induce growth of vigorous new shoots with slightly larger than normal leaves. Such hard annual prunings will control size, but most likely at the expense of profuse flowering. Hard pruning is more often done on the purple-leaved cultivars as new foliage usually has the brightest color..